Friday

Amazing Animal Stories


Amazing animal stories

In recent weeks, we've tracked encouraging news about endangered gorillas and rare bats, silly stories about surfing dogs and other irresistibly intriguing animal tales. Here are some of the most noteworthy headlines.
World's fastest bird?
A pudgy little shorebird has set a new animal kingdom record for the fastest long-distance, nonstop flight. Without resting, the birds traveled from a Scandinavian country to sub-Saharan Africa
Mama, baby elephant play
Photos of a mother elephant playing with her newborn calf melted hearts throughout the animal-loving world.
Worms from the deep
Researchers at a university in Belgium recently discovered a worm believed to be the deepest-living animal ever found.
Rare chick hatches
A rare white kiwi chick hatched at a wildlife center in New Zealand in early May. The bird is believed to be the first all-white kiwi chick born in captivity.
Lemurs debut at zoo
An exhibit featuring five rare ring-tailed lemurs recently opened to the public at a zoo in Australia.
Lost & found bat species
British biologists recently discovered a species of bat that hadn't been spotted in decades. Good news for the future of the brown long-eared bat: The female they found was pregnant.
Baby crocs hatch
Six saltwater crocodiles hatched recently at a zoo in New Zealand. The tiny reptiles worked hard for many hours to break through their shells.
Rare turtles intercepted
Customs authorities recently foiled a smuggling attempt at Bangkok's airport, intercepting a staggering number of rare turtles and other reptiles that had been stuffed into suitcases.
AC/DC-loving sharks
A charter boat operator in Australia made a surprising discovery: Blaring an AC/DC classic into the water appears to calm down great white sharks.
Vulture 'detectives' trained
Police in northern Germany are training vultures to see if the flying scavengers can help them find hidden bodies.
Male frog coughs up babies
It's quite a sight when baby frogs cascade out of their papa's mouth. Male members of a rare species rear their young inside their vocal sacs, where the froglets spend about 60 days developing. Find out more about one zoo's efforts to save them from extinction.
Canine surfers compete
Dozens of dogs from various breeds took to the waves off San Diego for a surfing contest in early June. The sixthannual competition is sponsored by a hotel chain.
Orangutan rescues baby bird
A zoo visitor captured amazing video of an orangutan gingerly plucking a struggling baby bird from a pond
Snake-infested home
An Idaho couple abandoned their dream home after a snake infestation turned it into a nightmare. A bank recently listed it for far less than the couple paid for it.
Can tiny rabbits be saved?
Wildlife experts are trying to save the endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit. It's the smallest rabbit in North America
Ugly fish to the rescue?
Some converts to the slow-food movement are hoping that more people start eating the homely likes of scorpion fish and needlefish, which are touted as cheap, sustainable and delicious.
Mountain gorilla twins born
A mountain gorilla in northern Rwanda recently gave birth to twins – great news for an endangered species that numbers less than 800.
Penguins do the wave
A new sped-up video shows emperor penguins in Antarctica undulating in a wave as they huddle to keep warm.